Sex education teaching in Newcastle has been rewritten - by a group of teenagers.

Sex education teaching in Newcastle has been rewritten - by a group of teenagers.

A new Sexual Health Pack has been put together by members of the Youth Parliament sexual health sub-group after they uncovered huge differences in the way the subject was taught in Newcastle schools.

The pack, which will be distributed to 12-13 year-olds, ranges from the everyday issues of puberty and relationships to the more controversial topics of abortion, contraception and sexuality.

Youth Parliament member Ally Stanger-Leathes, 15, of Church High said: "The way sex education is taught in schools varies vastly from one classroom to the next and largely depends on the teacher.

"With the pack we are hoping to standardise the teaching and provide a backup to pupils who are maybe not getting the best education."

But despite the graphic full frontal images of naked teenagers, and detailed information on masturbation and anal sex, teachers at the launch suggested the guides would only be beneficial if they were given to children as young as those in year seven.

A spokesman from St Thomas More School, in Blaydon, said: "The information in the pack is very useful and it is written in language that children and teenagers will respond to but they already know it by 12 or 13.

"Children as young as seven know what sex is now because of television and we should be aware of this to stop more teenage pregnancy."

The North East is one of the worst areas in the country for teenage pregnancy with five times more teen mums than the South.

But some say the guides are immoral

Colin Hart from the Christian Institute said: "It is very dangerous to be exposing children to this sort of thing as it only encourages them to experiment."

Members of the sexual health sub group are hoping to distribute the pack nationally.